Steam
by RedPirate-chan
Summary: TashigiSanji. This pairing was a special request and I must admit one I had never thought of.But there is something about Alabasta that draws people together...Thanks Overchasmkun


Steam

Sand rubbed against the soles of Sanji's feet, behind his knees, up his nostrils and under his clothes.  
The market was only a ten minute walk from their quarters, but even the thickest robes were no match for an Alabastan dust storm.  
Sanji took the carefully chosen produce he had selected to the kitchen. After sorting and storing it, he hurried to the baths to get the sand out of all the places sand should never be.

Sanji rushed into the massive bathhouse, threw off his robes and leapt into the stream of warm water. It flowed down his skin, beads of sandy mud ran rivulets to the ground. He walked around under the man-made waterfall to avoid stepping on the gritty mud he left behind.  
After a few minutes he began to feel clean and relaxed. The warm water was much more soothing than the warm wind and hot sun had been. He had just begun to soap himself down when he heard a feminine voice, humming, on the other side of the wall. The voice was too deep to be Nami's or Vivi's. It didn't sound like Robin either.  
_A new beauty to appreciate, _thought Sanji. _It would be un-gentlemanly not to acknowledge her beauty._ He began to climb.

Tashigi was accustomed to land or sea but after this place she definitely favoured the latter. Alabastan sand was in her hair, between her toes. It had even scratched her glasses.  
Yes, Alabastan water was far preferable to its sand.  
"Mmmmmm," she sighed in contentment, her eyes closed.

Sanji leant over the top of the wall._Black hair. Too short for Robin's… Need to see her face._  
Sanji leaned out further. The girl turned in the water. Her back was now to Sanji.  
"ARGGGG!" In a flurry of heart-eyes and flapping arms Sanji dropped off the wall and landed at the mystery brunette's feet. The girl spun, instantly moving into a fighting stance, brandishing her bar of soap like a dagger.  
"Get out of here!" she shouted. Sanji lifted his head to look up at her as he slowly untangled his limbs.  
"You!" Tashigi snapped, amazed. "You're a pirate, one of those Straw Hats! Are there any others hiding up there?" She didn't take her eyes off his.  
The woman was speaking but Sanji didn't take in a word. There was not a towel in sight. Sanji was up on one knee in a second. He clutched her unarmed hand in his.  
"Beautiful lady! Vision of loveliness! Let me kiss your skin like the water I envy so!"

This reaction so shocked Tashigi that she quite forgot to pull away. Instead she found her eyes moving down the naked figure of the young man before her. He was a little thinner that she would like but muscular and, and, she blushed, well, there was nothing to complain about physically.

At the same time Sanji's eyes moved upwards and eventually focused on Tashigi's face.

His smile faltered but only for a moment.  
"So, you are the rose of the marines." He bowed over her hand.  
Tashigi frowned, trying to stay angry. Charming or not, this was a pirate and a dangerous one at that. It was her duty to turn him in.  
"Don't even bother trying," Tashigi snapped, pulled her hand away from Sanji's.  
As soon as contact was broken, so was whatever spell had been holding sway over Tashigi. Embarrassment took over. Blushing, Tashigi dove for the bench and covered her front with her towel, again holding the soap as a weapon.

Sanji just stood up and smiled."There is nothing to be ashamed of. You are so beautiful but your eyes are so sad. To be a good marine do you have to forget how to smile? The men smile. Why not you?" Sanji cocked his head enquiringly."Smile? I smile, alright. Every time I help take a pirate crew out of action, I smile. I get the feeling I'm going to be smiling again very soon."  
Sanji reached out to her right hand and slid the soup from it.  
"You know, when I was up there I noticed you still have some sand on your back. May I?"

Tashigi scowled but didn't move as Sanji walked around behind her, soap in hand.She tensed as he slid the soap against her back. His fingers were so… gentle, so deft.  
Unwillingly she began to relax. Her body found itself arching towards his hands, now slippery from the lather. His hands moved to her lower back, slid up and down her sides from underarm to hips. His hands rested on her hips for a moment before sliding up her torso again.  
"You do realize that I'm still turning you in, pirate," Tashigi said with steel in her voice.  
"Yes," said Sanji absently, his hand slipping around her waist.  
She grabbed his hand. "I'm sure my back is clean now, thank you."  
"Yes it is. That's why I thought I would start on your front."

Tashigi spun to face Sanji, snatching the soap off him. "My front is quite clean, thankyou!" Yet she didn't move away. Her skin was still tingling from his touch. His visible eye had lost its rampant lust and now looked at her with something like understanding."It's OK to be a woman sometimes. They won't think less of you. You have proved yourself to them a thousand times in combat. You don't have to prove yourself to me. I know who you are."There was no mocking, no smugness in his tone. Those words, that seemed drawn from her own heart, were no line. It was then she knew if she told him to leave he would.  
He would never let her arrest him but he would also never use her femininity against her.  
Each word came from his heart and well, somewhere else.

Something about this was refreshing to Tashigi. This pirate was off duty right now so couldn't she be too? This was never her dream but maybe a little diversion wouldn't keep her from her goal.  
Tashigi looked at Sanji. She thought for a moment. Sanji could see her thinking.  
Tashigi smiled as she dropped the towel. "I think I _did_ miss some sand on the front. Do you mind?"


End file.
